Lecture 13

Sliding Contact Bearings

13-1

Outline
• General Characteristics of Sliding Contact
Bearings
• Typical Materials of Sliding Contact
Bearing
• Gib Design
• Configurations for Sliding Contact Rotary
Bearings
• Configurations for Sliding Contact Linear
Bearings
13-2
 Straight Talk on Ways
• Three basic types of ways exist: plain sliding
(sliding contact bearing), rolling element
and hydrostatic ways.
• In this design, the moving surfaces slide
against each other assisted by a layer of
lubrication which, when operating correctly,
actually produces a hydro-dynamic bearing.
• That is a bearing which guides on a
controlled layer of lubrication created by
motion.
13-3

General Characteristics of Sliding

Contact Bearings
• Sliding contact bearings are the oldest, simplest, least
expensive bearing technology, and they still have a wide
range of applications, from construction machinery to
machines with atomic resolution.
• Sliding contact bearings utilize a variety of different types
of lubricants between various interface materials.
Lubricants range from light oil to grease to a solid
lubricant such as graphite or a PTFE polymer. Because
they often distribute loads over a large area, contact
stresses and space requirements are often low while
stiffness and damping are usually high.
• They are very robust and reliable.
• They are speed limited and have friction-induced servo
limits.
• They are economical and for many applications will never
13-4
be replaced.
 General Characteristics of Sliding
Contact Bearings

13-5

Advantages of Sliding Contact

Bearing
• Have a good resistance to wear, fatigue and corrosion
• Have sufficient strength to support the load
• Have a fairly high melting point to reduce the tendency for
creep in use
• Have suitable thermal properties to enable heat to be
conducted away
• As metal to metal contact will be unavoidable in service the
material should be selected to minimize seizure, fretting
(corrosion), scoring and welding
• The bearing should be tolerant to dirt and foreign matter-
e.g. soft surface
• Should be tolerant to misalignment
• Should be compatible to lubricant used- e.g should not
corrode if water is used
13-6
 Min. Shaft Load carrying Max. Op.
Lubrication Hardness Capacity Temp Corrosion Fatigue
Material Compatability Comformability
Needed Resistance Strength
Brinell No Mpa °C
Tin Based Babbit Yes 150 or less 5,5 - 10 150 Excellent Excellent Excellent Poor
Lead Based
Yes 150 or less 5,5 - 8,3 150 Excellent Excellent Fair Poor
Babbit
Cadmium Base Yes 230 or less 10-14 250 Excellent Good Poor Fair
Copper Lead Yes 200-250 10-20 175 Fair Fair Poor Fair
Copper Lead
Yes 300 10-17 150 Excellent Good Poor Fair
Overplated
Lead Bronze Yes 300 20-28 230 Fair Fair Fair Good
Tin Bronze Yes 300-400 28+ 250+ Poor Poor Good Excellent
Aluminium Alloy
Yes 200-300 28+ 120 Fair Fair Excellent Excellent
(6% Sn)
Aluminium Alloy
Yes 200 28+ 0 Good Fair Excellent Excellent
(20% Sn)
Silver (Overplated) Yes 300-400 28+ 250 Good Fair Excellent Excellent
Glacier DX Yes - 140 280 Fair Fair Excellent Excellent
Glacier Du No - 140 100 Fair Fair Excellent Excellent

Notes:
1.Temperatures are in practice subject to lubrication limitations.
2.Any bearing not lubricate with thick film lubrication will be subject to significant wear related to loading and type of
motion...
3.Glacier DX consists of three bonded layers: a steel backing strip and a sintered porous bronze matrix, impregnated and
overlaid with a pigmented acetal copolymer bearing material.
4.Glacier DU consists of three bonded layers: a steel backing strip and a porous bronze matrix, impregnated and overlaid
with the PTFE/lead bearing material.
13-7
Source: http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Drive/Plain_Bearings.html

Dynamic Stiffness
• Many consider plain guides superior because of their high
dynamic stiffness.
• In simple terms, dynamic stiffness equals static stiffness
times damping.
• Plain slides, due to their long surface areas and oil film
lubrication, develop much higher damping than rolling
element bearings, which have very little surface area.
• Rolling element bearings do possess a high static stiffness.
Taking a high static stiffness times a low damping factor
results in low dynamic stiffness.
• Plain slides, on the other hand, have a high static stiffness
and a higher damping, thus resulting in a much higher
dynamic stiffness.
• Plain slide ways experience speed limitations due to their
hydrodynamic nature. 13-8
 Dynamic Stiffness
• The oil in the small gaps between the bearing surfaces acts
like the oil in a shock absorber, and the small gap between
the surfaces acts like the small hole that restricts oil flow in
the shock absorber.
• This viscous shear resistance is very significant when you
consider the surface area of the bearing and the small gap.
• Another disadvantage of plain slides is that the at-rest
contact occurs between the bearing surfaces. This causes a
static friction higher than the dynamic friction once the
bearing surfaces generate an oil film during motion.
• The difference between static and dynamic coefficient of
friction results in the phenomenon referred to as "stick-
slip", and can make it difficult to position plain slides
accurately when the application requires very small
motions.
13-9

General Characteristics Sliding

Contact Bearings
• Stiffness of various sliding contact bearings lubricated with
light oil and after wear-in. (After Dolbey and Bell.)

13-10
 General Characteristics Sliding
Contact Bearings
• Vibration and shock resistance
¾ Excellent.
¾ Matched only by hydrostatic and hydrodynamic bearings.
• Damping capability
¾ Excellent normal to direction of motion due to squeeze film damping.
¾ Matched only by hydrostatic and hydrodynamic bearings.
¾ High along direction of motion.
¾ Predict it using squeeze film damping theory.
• Friction
¾ Static friction never equals dynamic friction.
¾ Most data is supplied for speed ranges from 10-6 m/s and 0.1 m/s, but
what is important is the friction about at 0 m/s!
¾ Stiction (Stick-Slip): when static μ is greater than dynamic μ,
cause stick-slip which causes position errors.

13-11

Boundary Lubrication
• Friction initially high, then lower, then increases
(viscous effects): Stribeck curve:

13-12
Source: http://www.bardyne.com/Documents/B3samp01.pdf
 Boundary Lubrication
• Boundary lubrication is lubrication by a liquid
under conditions where the solid surfaces are so
close together that appreciable contact between
opposing asperities is possible.
• The friction and wear in boundary lubrication are
determined predominantly by interaction between
the solids and between the solids and the liquid.
• The bulk flow properties of the liquid play little or
no part in the friction and wear behavior.

13-13

General Characteristics Sliding

Contact Bearings
• Static friction is always greater than
dynamic friction.
• This effects the system’s controllability.
• With linear scales, as opposed to an encoder
on a ballscrew, dimples will appear at
velocity crossovers.

13-14
 General Characteristics Sliding
Contact Bearings
• Thermal performance
¾ High friction coefficient generates heat.
&The bearings are so stiff, that when thermal errors (e.g.,
bowing), high points are created which wear and crash the
bearing.
¾ Heat changes oil viscosity.
¾ Large surface area efficiently transmits heat.
¾ In extreme cases, consider using a thermocentric design.
&Expansion in one direction relieves expansion in another
direction.

13-15

General Characteristics Sliding

Contact Bearings
• Environmental sensitiveness
¾ Particles embed themselves in softer surface or roll out.
¾ Generally very tolerant of foreign matter.
¾ Water absorption can be dealt with the use of a sealant.
• Seal-ability
¾ Wiper seals are often sufficient and easily fitted.
¾ Don’t tempt fate, use way covers or bellows if possible.
• Size and configuration
¾ Thin profile.
¾ Virtually any configuration possible.

13-16
 General Characteristics Sliding
Contact Bearings
• Support equipment
¾ Automatic lubricator needed to periodically lubricate.
¾ Grooves are required to distribute the lubricant:

13-17

General Characteristics Sliding

Contact Bearings
¾Scraped surfaces hold pockets of oil and are
optimal for lubrication.
¾Grinding with a cup wheel can also create an
effective cross-hatch pattern.
• Varying fluid resistances can cause
straightness errors to be a function of
lubricator cycle.
¾Controller can signal lubricator when machine is
idling.
13-18
 Scraping Procedure in Sliding Way

c d

f
e 13-19
Source: http://www.moglice.com/newsite/pages/straighttalk.html

Scraping Procedure in Sliding Way

g
h

i
j
13-20
Source: http://www.moglice.com/newsite/pages/straighttalk.html
 Scraping Procedure in Sliding Way

13-21
Source: http://www.moglice.com/newsite/pages/straighttalk.html

General Characteristics of Sliding

Bearing
• Maintenance
¾Generally requires periodic lubrication.
&Lubricators periodically send a squirt of oil that can
cause a displacement if design is not done carefully.
&Differential flow to different bearings will cause a
differential displacement.
¾Instrument grade bearings can often be run dry.

13-22
 General Characteristics of Sliding
Bearing
• Material Compatibility
¾ Sliding contact bearings have high stiffness to resist cutting forces
but use low preloads to minimize starting forces: hence a small
amount of differentia] thermal growth between bearing components
can lead to loss of preload and in some cases opening of a bearing
gap.
¾ Maintains preload in the presence of uniform temperature changes
¾ The surface finish of the interface components is very crucial to
proper wear-in and long-term life. In general, one wants a surface
finish on the order of 0.1-0.5 μm with a random pattern on the hard
surface the bearing rides on. This provides fine grooves in which a
lubricant can be trapped.
¾ Rougher Finishes tend to cause the asperities to drag like grappling
hooks, and finer surfaces cannot support a lubricating layer. The
better the surface finish of the bearing material, the less time that is
needed to wear-in the bearing and the less adjustment that is needed
13-23
after wear-in.

General Characteristics of Sliding

Bearing
• Required Life
¾ A review of various manufacturers’ catalogs shows that when
properly lubricated and not overloaded, after wear-in sliding bearings
may wear at a rate of about 10-11 m/meter of travel.
¾ Some PTFE bearings that ride on surfaces with nanometer-level
surface finishes (so they are nanobrading) are thought to build up a
film on the bearing way which transfers back and forth between the
bearing pad, leading to essentially zero wear.
¾ It used to be that machines were designed for a life of 5-10 years,
with the intent that they could then be rebuilt over and over. It also
used to be that sliding contact bearings often had to be hand scraped,
which made them expensive, but modem accurate surface grinders
make it possible to, in many instances, just assemble ground
components and attain reasonable repeatability (on the order of 5-10
μm) after wear-in and readjustment of the gibs.
13-24
 General Characteristics of Sliding
Bearing
• Availability
¾ Modular sliding contact bearings or materials for custom
manufacture are among the easiest items to procure.
• Designability
¾ Sliding contact bearings influence the design of a machine by often
requiring the use of a gib and an automatic lubrication system. In
general, sliding contact bearings are very easy to design.
• Manufacturability
¾ The comments for designability apply here as well.
• Cost
¾ The cost of sliding contact bearing materials themselves are
negligible, and the cost of an automatic lubrication system is
moderate. The principal cost associated with precision sliding contact
bearings is that of attaining the desired accuracy and surface finish
of the bearings and the surface they slide on. For example, it also
takes considerable skill to make a tapered gib.
13-25

General Characteristics of Sliding

Bearing
• Replicated bearings
¾ Only the replication master needs to be accurately finished.
&An exact fit is obtained, so gibs are usually not needed.
¾ The machine is easily rebuilt by casting a bearing.
&Replicated bearings generally do not have to be hand finished.
¾ Care must be taken to manage the heat generated during the cure
process or else the system may harden in a warped state
&Part and master should have same thermal time constant to prevent
gradients and warping.
¾ Replicants typically shrink about 0.2-0.3%, which is often referred to
as "negligible" (e.g., 3mm*0.002 = 6μm).
¾ The resin should be degassed before injection.
¾ Several manufacturing applications with replicated bearings are
presented here to illustrate the technique.

13-26
 Plastic Materials for Sliding
Contact Bearings

13-27

Characteristics of Plastic Bearings

• Advantages
¾ Self-lubricating
¾ Low wear rates
¾ Relatively high performance rating (PV) among sleeve bearing
materials
¾ Bearing O.D.’s compatible with standard sintered bronze sizes for
upgrading existing equipment
¾ Kinetic and static coefficient of friction virtually the same under
heavy loads
¾ Extremely low coefficient of friction
¾ Lightweight
¾ Ability to conform under load
¾ Resistance to chemicals
• The design characteristics of plastic and nonmetallic
bearings bear both similarities and differences relative to
those of porous-metal bearings.
13-28
 Wear Rate, Coefficient of Friction
and Limiting PV Data

13-29
Source: http://www.qbcbearings.com

PV and Load Capacities of Different

Plastic Materials

Source: http://www.qbcbearings.com
13-30
 Properties of Bearing Materials

13-31
Source: http://www.qbcbearings.com

The
coefficient
of friction
varies with
the bearing
unit load.

Source: http://www.qbcbearings.com 13-32

 Plastic Bearings
Example
• A shaft of 1/2” in diameter is supported by two
plastic bearings. The force equals 10 lbs. The bearing
length is 3/4”. The shaft rotates at 750 rpm.

0.262 ⋅ F ⋅ rpm 0.262 × 10 × 750

PV = = = 2619 fpm ⋅ psi
l 0.75

• From the tables showing the maximum PV values the

proper material can be chosen.
13-33

The effect of lubrication on the

factor of a particular material.
(Oilon PV–80)

Source: http://www.qbcbearings.com
13-34
Typical Materials of Sliding Contact
Bearing
• Turcite®
¾Ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethlyene [ECTFE]
• Glacier DU®
• Castable Bearing Material
¾Zanite®
¾Moglice®

13-35

Turcite® Bearing Materials

• Turcite® is a high-quality, internally lubricated
material that is ideal for applications with
demanding wear and friction requirements.
• Its low water absorption enables components
made with Turcite® to retain their integrity over
long periods.
• This material comes in two grades.
¾ Turcite® A is a resilient formulation that performs well
under vibratory and dynamic loading.
¾ Turcite® X has minimal hygroscopic characteristics and
low thermal expansion properties, resulting in a
structurally stable material.
¾ Both grades can be easily machined from rod and tube
stock. 13-36
Properties of Turcite® sliding bearing material. (Courtesy of
W.S. Shamban & Co.)

13-37

Characteristics of Turcite®
• Advantages
¾ Excellent physical and mechanical properties
¾ Self-lubricating with superior bearing performance
¾ Good dimensional stability at operating conditions
¾ Superior resistance to moisture absorption
¾ High wear resistance
¾ Low coefficient of friction
¾ Outstanding chemical and corrosion resistance
¾ Light weight and reduces noise chatter
¾ Turcite® is oven annealed to reduce internal stresses
13-38
 Characteristics of Turcite®
• MATERIAL PROPERTIES
Turcite® TA Turcite® TX
¾ Tensile Strength @ Break ......... 7,600 psi 5,900 psi
¾ Elongation @ Break .................. 15% 19%
¾ Heat Deflection Temp. .............. 205°F 203°F
¾ Max. Continuous Service Temp..180°F 180°F
¾ Intermittent Service Temp. ........ 225°F 225°F
¾ Linear Coef. of Thermal Exp…. 5.2 in/in°Fx10-5 5.2 in/in°Fx10-5
¾ Coef. of Friction (Non-Lub)....... 0.30 0.22
¾ Wear Factor .............................. 43 in/(psi*fpm*hr) 20 in/(psi*fpm*hr)
¾ Limiting PV Value ............…... 7,500 psi-fpm 42,000 psi-fpm
¾ Water Absorption ............….. .20% 20%
¾ Color of Material ..................... Turquoise Red

13-39

Typical Applications of Turcite®

• Cams and cam followers
• Bearings
• Rollers
• Valve seats
• Insulators
• Liners

13-40
 DU® Bearing Material
• Structure
¾Steel + porous bronze sinter + PTFE +
Pb

13-41

DU® Bearing Material

• Usage: DryGoodOil lubricatedGoodGrease lubricatedFairWater
lubricatedFairProcess fluid lubricatedFairAvailability:
¾ Ex stock:
• Standard cylindrical bushes, flanged bushes, thrust washers, flanged washers,
strip
¾ To order: Non-standard parts
• Features:
¾ Dry bearing material with good wear and friction performance over, speed and
temperature conditions
¾ DU also performs well with lubrication
¾ Available from stock in a wide range of standard sizes
• Possible Applications:
¾ Automotive:
& McPherson struts and shock absorbers, door, bonnet and tailgate hinges, steering columns,
clutches, gearbox selector forks guides, wiper arms, power steering pumps, pedal bushes,
ABS equipment, etc.
• Industrial:
¾ Lifting equipment, hydraulic pumps and motors, pneumatic equipment, medical
equipment, textile machinery, agricultural equipment, scientific equipment, drying
ovens, office equipment, etc.

13-42
Properties of Glacier DU® bearing material available as
bushings or in sheet form. (Courtesy of The Glacier Metal
Company Ltd.)

Glacier Garlock Bearings (GGB)

Reference: http://www.ggbearings.com/history.asp
13-43

Glacier DU® Bearing Material

• The DU® Bearing is the ultimate in oilless
bearing design, using lead and
tetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) having
excellent wear resistance which optimizes
metal properties such as strength and
dimensional stability.
• Coefficients of static and dynamics friction
are so small that the bearing surfaces run
smoothly without lubrication, while at the
same time eliminating sticking and slipping.
13-44
 Glacier DU® Bearing Material
• The bearing surfaces have such low
coefficients of static and dynamic friction
that they require no lubrication.
• The operating temperature range extends
from -200 to 280 ℃.
• DU® bearing operate smoothly under loads
which exert high levels of resistance, impact,
intermittent motion, and thrust.
• DU® bearing are free from electrostatic
13-45
induction. When installed, each DU®

Glacier DU® Bearing Material

• Glacier Garlock is one of the world's primary sources for
plain industrial bearings and bearing materials. Covering
all manner of industrial, aerospace and specialist
technologies, Glacier has a long established history in this
field and provides an enormous range of products to suit
many applications.
• The range includes bearing materials designed to operate
dry, under conditions of marginal lubrication, and
continuously at temperatures up to 280°C. None of
materials rely on the build-up of a hydrodynamic oil film
to operate correctly, and they are particularly suitable for
oscillating, frequent stop/start, or high-load/low-speed
conditions.
• The materials do not absorb water or swell in the presence
of moisture, so there is little danger of seizure(鎖住) in a
humid atmosphere due to reduction in clearance. 13-46
 Castable Bearing Material

13-47

The Frictional Characteristics of a

Castable Bearing Material
• One surface must be very rough, while the other
surface should be smooth and covered with mold
release. To prevent porosity, the replicant must be
thoroughly vacuum degassed before application.
• Replication greatly decreases the cost of bearing
surfaces for the following reasons:
¾ Only the replication master needs to be accurately
finished.
¾ An exact Fit is obtained, so gibs are not needed.
¾ The machine is easily rebuilt.
¾ Replicated bearings are less sensitive to dirt and they
generally do not have to be scraped.

13-48
 General Characteristics of Castable
Bearing
• Speed and acceleration limits
Material
¾ < 15 m/min (600 ipm) and 0.1 g.
• Applied loads
¾ Large surface area allows for high load capacity.
¾ Virtually insensitive to crashes.
• Accuracy
¾ Axial: 5 - 10 microns depending on the drive system.
¾ Lateral (straightness): 0.1 - 10 microns depending on the rails.
¾ Special designs can yield nanometer accuracy.
• Repeatability
¾ Axial: 2 - 10 microns depending on the drive system.
¾ Lateral (straightness): 0.1 - 10 microns depending on the rails.
• Resolution
¾ Axial: 1 - 10 microns depending on the drive system.
• Preload
¾ 5-10% of the allowable load.
• Stiffness
¾ Easily made many times greater than other components in the machine. 13-49

Properties of a typical castable high lubricity polymer.

(Courtesy of ITW-Philadelphia Resins.)

13-50
 Zanite® Polymer Composite
• Zanite® polymer composite is a blend of
pure silicon dioxide ceramic (99.8%) quartz
aggregate, specially formulated high
strength epoxy resin and selected additives.
• The natural elliptical shape of quartz is
ideal for casting intricate structures.

13-51

Zanite® Polymer Composite

• Zanite® polymer composite is a formulated composite
material designed for casting machine bases and other
structural components. It is a combination of epoxy,
quartz aggregate and selected additives.
• Zanite® replaces traditional materials, such as iron,
aluminum and steel, used in the manufacture of machine
bases. Castings can be manufactured to finished tolerances,
and the resulting item outperforms alternative materials.
Zanite® provides many advantages over metals.
• Zanite® applications include a variety of other special
equipment and machinery where vibration damping,
chemical resistance and design flexibility is a consideration.

13-52
 The Properties of Zanite®
Properties U.S. Units S.I. (Metric)
Damping ratio 0.157 0.157
Specific heat 0.23BTU/Lb°F 960J/kg°C
Chemical resistance Excellent Excellent
Compressive strength 20,000 psi 137 N/mm2
Density 0.084 lb/in3 2.3 kg/dm3
Flexure strength 3,800 psi 26 N/mm2
Modulus of elasticity 4.5 x 106 psi 31 KN/mm2
Poisson ratio 0.25 0.25
Temperature limits -50°F to 220°F -45°C to 104°C
Tensile strength 2,100 psi 14.5 N/mm2
Thermal conductivity 11.09 Btu/(h.ft2.°F/ft) 0.191 W/(cm2.°C/cm)
Water absorption 0.01% 0.01%
Thermal expansion 10.8 x 10-6 in/in°F 2.0 x 10-5 /°C
Flame spread index Class A (Class I) – 25 or under flame spread per ASTM E84
13-53

The Advantages of Zanite®

• Vibration: Zanite® dampens vibration
approximately 10 times better than cast iron
and 45 times better than steel due to its
higher dynamic stiffness. Reduction of
vibration means improved system
performance and tool life. Zanite® also
deadens sound.
• Flexibility: Custom linear ways, hydraulic
fluid tanks, threaded inserts, cutting fluid
and conduit piping can all be integrated into
13-54

®
 The Advantages of Zanite®
• Cost: Zanite® is cast to finish tolerances
while cast iron requires secondary
machining. Zanite® polymer bases cost
significantly less than metallic castings
when compared to finished, ready to
assemble parts. In addition, inventory costs
are significantly reduced because of the
short lead times.
• Zanite® is environmentally friendly. Zanite®
bases are created using a cold casting 13-55

process requiring a minimal amount of

The Advantages of Zanite®

• Zanite® replaces traditional materials such as
iron, aluminum, and steel used in the manufacture
of machine bases. Castings are manufactured to
finish tolerances, and the resulting base out-
performs alternative material in many areas.
• Zanite® polymer composite is accepted by design
engineers throughout the world as an alternative
material due to its excellent design flexibility,
mechanical properties, and short production time.

13-56
 The Advantages of Zanite®

13-57

Typical Industry Use of Zanite®

• Filled Structures:
¾Zanite® Polymer Composite Filled Weldments
and Iron Castings
• Standard and Custom Designed Inserts
• Molds and Tooling
• Machine Tool
• Medical
¾Typical applications include: frame supports for
MRI machines, X-ray equipment, CAT-Scanners,
13-58
and blood testing & analysis machines.
 13-59

Moglice® Bearing Material

• The coefficient of friction for the
combination C.I./Moglice® is only approx.
1/7 of the combination C.I/ steel.

13-60
Properties of Moglice® high lubricity castable bearing
replication material. (Courtesy of "DIAMANT" Metallplastic
GmbH.)

13-61

Frictional properties of Moglice® castable bearing material:

contact pressure 5 daN/cm2 with mineral oil having a
viscosity of 25 centistokes at 50℃. (Courtesy of
"DIAMANT" Metallplastic GmbH.)
13-62
 The Benefits of Moglice®
• Moulded in place
• Applicable without special knowledge,
• With highest precision
• Just putty, pour or inject - ready! (After
cure)

13-63

Fields of Application of Moglice®

• Round guideways, • Carriage slideways
bushings • Tooth racks
• Bearings of any kind • Ram guideways
for large machine tools • Hydrostatic guideways
• Hydraulic pistons • Support guideways
• Taper gibs • Aerostatic guideways
• Column guidings • Quill bushings

13-64
 Use of Castable Bearings in RepRap

13-65
http://reprap.blogspot.com/2006/09/use-of-castable-bearings-in-reprap_04.html

Gib Design

13-66
 Gib Design
• In order to allow the preload to be adjusted easily,
particularly after the wear-in period has been
completed, a machine element called a gib should
be used with linear sliding contact bearings.

13-67

Gib Design
• Straight gibs are preloaded using setscrews along their
length or with a roller.
• Tapered gibs are preloaded by a single screw that pushes
them along a matching taper, thereby creating uniform
lateral displacement along the length of the gibs.
• The former is easy to manufacture, while the latter
requires more complicated machine setups and
considerable skill if it is to be hand scraped.
• Still, tapered gibs provide the highest degree of stiffness.
Note that gibs for dovetails that are locked in place with
retaining bolts can provide twice the stiffness to
overturning moments than do tapered gibs.

13-68
 Gib Design
• For the T carriage design
shown in Figure 8.2.5, a
straight gib is used to control
the lateral clearance between
the saddle and rail.
• Note that lateral motion is
restricted by one rail only. To
use both rails for lateral
restraint would overconstrain
the system, increase the
likelihood that Poisson
expansion of the bolted rails
would create straighiness
errors, and increase
manufacturing costs
considerably.

13-69

Gib Design
• The thickness tgib of the gib should be
chosen so that the deflection is one-half the
desired repeatability δ of the system:
1/ 3
⎛ 2αηab Pmax ⎞ 3
t gib = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
⎝ δE ⎠

13-70
 Gib Design

For example, assume that a brass gib is used and E=110

GPa (16 x 106 psi), δ = 10-6 m, a =0.1 m, b = 0.05 m, Pmax=
0.5 Mpa (75 psi) andη= 0.3: then t = 0.0183 m (0.72 in).
13-71

Configurations of Sliding
Contact Rotary Bearing

13-72
 Configurations of Sliding Contact
Rotary Bearing
• Sliding contact rotary bearings are not often
used in precision machines because ball
bearings are so inexpensive and easy to use.
• However, sliding contact bearings may be
needed where high loads may be
encountered, or extreme accuracy
requirements warrant lapping a shaft and
sliding contact bearing to fit each other
perfectly.

13-73

Various Configurations for Sliding

Contact Rotary Bearings

Various configurations for rotary sliding contact modular bearings.

(Courtesy of Thomson Industries, Inc.)
13-74
 Jewel Bearing
• For very high precision applications, such as
instruments where the friction torque is to be
minimized, one should consider using a jewel
bearing (synthetic sapphire or ruby).
• The high surface finish, high compressive strength,
high modulus, and chemical inertness of a jewel
bearing usually ensures dimensional stability.
• These properties also allow jewel bearings to be
used with a small-diameter or pointed shaft,
thereby minimizing tare torque.

13-75

Jewel Bearing
• The synthesizing process dates back to the early
1900’s and has changed little since then.
Aluminum ammonium sulfate is calcined at a
temperature between 1200°C and 1500°C.
• The resulting alumina or corundum is fed as a
powder into an oxyhydrogen flame of about 2050°
centigrade temperature.
• The powder melts and is crystallized on a ceramic
pedestal to form a small, single crystal boule form
which blanks are cut for the manufacture of
various designs of jewel bearings and other
products.
13-76
 Synthetic Sapphire Properties
General Properties of Sapphire
Chemical Formula Al2O3
Mechanical Optical
No: 1.768(c-axis)
Density 3.97 gm/cm3 Index of Refraction
Ne: 1.760(c-axis)
Compressive Strength 300,000 psi Birefringence (No-Ne) 0.008
Young Modulus 50-55 x 106 psi Electrical
Flexural Strength ~100,000 psi Dielectric Strength 480,000 v/cm
average 11.5 (parallel to c-axis)
Tensile Strength ~60,000 psi (at approx. 25°C) Dielectric Constant
average 9.3 (perpendicular to c-axis)
Poisson’s Ratio 0.28-0.33 Volume Resistivity >1014 ohm-cm2
Porosity 0% Thermal
9 mohs
Hardness 1800 Knoop parallel to c-axis Melting Point 2,050 °C
2200 Knoop perpendicular to c-axis
Coefficient of 5.3 x 10-6 (parallel to c-axis)
Coefficient of Friction 0.15 against steel
Expansion 4.5 x 10-6 (perpendicular to c-axis)
Conductivity 0.086 cal/gm
Heat Capacity 77.8 joules/deg. Mole

Source: http://www.swissjewel.com/syntethic_sapphire_properties.htm 13-77

Outstanding Advantages of
Synthetic Sapphire Jewel Bearings
• High polish and low friction
• Hardness and Shock Resistance
• Miniature Size, Close Tolerances
• Low Cost, Long & Accurate Wear Life
• Resistance to Heat, Corrosion, Distortion
• Non-magnetic Properties
• High Dielectric Strength

13-78
 Jewel Bearing Designs

Standard jewel bearing designs. (Courtesy of Swiss Jewel Co.)

13-79

Jewel Bearing
• Ring Jewels serve as radical or sleeve bearings used with a
straight cylindrical shaft.
• Typical Applications: General Instrumentation, Flow Meters,
Gauges, Indicators, Watches, Clocks, Potentiometers, Gyros,
Aircraft Instruments, Spacer, Insulator

Source: http://www.swissjewel.com/sapphire_ring_jewels.htm 13-80

 Configuration of Sliding
Contact Liner Bearing

13-81

Closed Rectangular Liner Bearing

Configuration
• It is an overconstrained
design, but if well made
and preloaded, it can
provide exceptional
stiffness and damping
capability.
• Note that the full
wraparound design of
the carriage means that
the bearing rail is
subject to bending loads.
13-82
 Open Rectangular (T) Linear
Bearing Configuration
• T configurations are the most common type of sliding
bearing configuration seen in machine tools.
• It is overconstrained but provides very high stiffness. Wear
among the bearing surfaces is usually symmetric, so
alignment of the carriage does not change much with wear.
With careful design and manufacturing quality control,
machines with 5 to 10 μm repeatability or better can be
built using this bearing design.

13-83

Vee and Flat Linear Bearing Configuration

• The vee and flat is a true kinematic bearing configuration.
• A vee and flat supported carriage is generally preloaded by
the weight of the machine, so it is often acceleration and
speed limited.
• It is possible to preload a vee and flat supported carriage
with a friction drive roller, but then the preload force on
the bearings becomes af unction of carriage position.
• Vee and flat supported carriages are also prone to walking
problems should the center of mass of the system change
dramatically, as when a heavy part is put on one side of the
carriage.
• When the center of mass changes, the distance from the
axial motion guiding the vee to the center of mass changes:
hence the distribution of frictional forces changes, which
causes a yaw motion on the carriage.
• This causes the carriage to yaw differently when different
weights are applied at different positions. 13-84
 Double-Vee Linear Bearing
Configuration
• The double vee is quasi-
kinematic: It is more
kinematic than the dovetail
but not as kinematic as the
vee and flat: however, it has
been found to be easier to
manufacture than a dovetail,
and a carriage supported by
twin vees is less susceptible
to walking than is the vee
and flat when heavy off-
center loads are applied.

13-85